Popular Beef Brisket Noodles Institution
The 90 plus year old Kau Kee at Gough Street has become the ‘must-visit’ restaurant for beef brisket noodles, included into many foodies’ bucket list.

Despite looking kind of run-down, the noodle shop is on the Michelin recommended “Bib Gourmand” list for several years, with celebrity patrons from Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang to award-winning actor Tony Leung.

On its menu: Beef Brisket, Slices or Tendon in Broth, Curry, and Oyster Sauce, with choices of Rice Noodle, E-Fu, Flat Noodle or Vermicelli, ranging generally from HK$35 to HK$76.

Most customers would go for the Beef Brisket With E-Fu Noodle In Broth (HK$55) or Beef Tendon Noodles In Curry (HK$55) – which can be described as rich and oily, but full on in flavours and spiciness. Kau Kee 九記牛腩 (Central, Hong Kong)

Michelin Bib Gourmand Ping Pong Wonton
Tsim Chai Kee 沾仔记 has earned its due by being categorised as “Bib Gourmand”, which translates in Michelin language as “inspector’s favourite for good value”.

Tsim Chai Kee served just noodles with three different toppings – shrimp wonton, beef slices, or/and fish ball. Opt for the all-in-one Three Toppings Noodle. All in for HKD$34 (SGD$5.80).

The shrimp wontons at Tsim were a class of its own – fresh chunky prawns (two per dumpling) and minced pork packed into a big ping pong sized dumpling that gave a tasty crunch on every bite. Tsim Chai Kee 沾仔记

Famed Roast Goose Restaurant
The Chinese restaurant which had humble beginnings as a dai pai dong on Kwong Yuen West, rose to fame for its roast goose and could sell as many as 300 whole birds per day.

Yung Kee was once named the Top 15 Restaurants in the World by Fortune Magazine, Asia’s Top 20 Restaurants by Miele Guide, and held one Michelin Star in 2009. But that didn’t last long.

Like a TVB Hong Kong family drama, a family dispute over money and relationships caused much conflicts and eventual lowering standards of the restaurant.

I remember the good old days where some would actually bother to ta-bao back the roast all the way from Hong Kong, and there were long queues and waiting times for the succulent ducks with crispy glossy skin.

And I was a huge fan of their preserved eggs, which creamy and tasty, were like none other ever tried. Yung Kee still receives many diners, though not as many as during its heydays.

One Of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
The Chairman Restaurant 大班樓 has gained a reputation of presenting quality Cantonese food, light and delicately, with some modern interpretation.

The kitchen takes pride in their food: Looking at small local suppliers for produce, using organic vegetables as far as possible, no MSG (kudos for a Cantonese restaurant), using homemade sauces. They own a small farm at Sheung Shui.

A tasting menu for two is HK$598 per person. If ala carte is your way, their signatures are Steamed Fresh Flowery Crab with Aged ShaoXing Wine (seasonal price), Braised Spare Ribs with Preserved Plums in Caramelized Black Vinegar (HK$198), and The Chairman’s Soy Sauce Chicken (HK$178). The Chairman Restaurant 大班樓

Asian Burgers Place By May Chow Is Hip & Cool
The tiny shop somehow brought the hip level up many notches with an endearing yet weird looking mascot, an open concept kitchen reminding you of authentic tapas bars in Spain, and energy that was uplifting and inviting.

Dim Sum War-zone
No matter how much I tell my friends to get mentally ready for the Lin Heung ‘warzone’ experience, they never really are. If you do not speak Cantonese (or at least pu tong hua), and have no understanding of the dim sum trolley culture – good luck.

First things first, grab your seats or wait around like a vulture till you get some empty ones. You definitely have to share the table with complete strangers.

Dim sum ladies would come out pushing trolleys of food. For popular items like the cheong fun, this is a competition of fastest runner and fastest hands first.

The price is cheap, though quality nothing to shock about. It is probably one of the 10 things you must experience in Hong Kong if you are a foodie.